PUMPKIN PIE CHIFFON CAKE

Here's a recipe I promised to post utilizing some of the leftover pumpkin puree from my Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Brulees. BTW, I'm thinking of making those again because they were so good!

This Pumpkin Chiffon cake was so delicious! It was moist and had a tender crumb. The pumpkin puree, pie spices and cinnamon gave it a pumpkin pie flavour but the texture was so light and airy. You know how eating a pumpkin pie at the end of a meal can put you over the top? It tends to be very rich and dense in texture. Well, you could eat many more slices of this cake after your turkey meal and not feel the seratonin repercussions!CAKEBRAIN'S PUMPKIN PIE CHIFFON CAKE1 cup sugar½ cup golden brown sugar1 1/3 cups cake flour (measure unsifted)1 ¼ tsp baking powder¼ tsp baking soda½ tsp salt7 large eggs, 2 left whole, 5 separated (at room temperature)1/3 cup vegetable oil1 tsp vanilla extract½ tsp cream of tartar2/3 cup water1 cup canned pureed pumpkin1/2 t. cinnamon1/2 t. pie spices

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325°F. Whisk sugars, flour, baking powder and salt together in large bowl (at least 4-quart size). Whisk in two whole eggs, five egg yolks (reserve whites), water, oil and extract until batter is smooth. Stir in pumpkin puree, cinnamon and spices.2. Pour reserved egg whites into large bowl; beat at low speed with electric mixer until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar, gradually increase speed to medium-high, then beat whites until very thick and stiff, just short of dry, 9 to 10 minutes with handheld mixer or 5 to 7 minutes in standing mixer. With large whisk, fold whites into batter, smearing any blobs of white that resist blending.3. Pour batter into ungreased large tube pan ( 9 inch diameter, 16-cup capacity).4. Bake cake on lower middle rack in oven until wire cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Immediately turn cake upside down to cool. If pan does not have prongs around rim for elevating cake, invert pan over bottle or funnel, inserted through tube. Let cake hang until completely cook, about 2 hours.5. To unmold, turn pan upright. Run frosting spatula or thin knife around pan’s circumference between cake and pan wall, always pressing against the pan. Use cake tester to loosen cake from tube. For one-piece pan, bang it on counter several times, then invert over serving plate. For two-piece pan, grasp tube and lift cake out of pan. If glazing the cake, use a fork or a paring knife to gently scrap all the crust off the cake. Loosen cake from pan bottom with spatula or knife, then invert cake onto plate. (Can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature 2 days or refrigerated 4 days.)Serving: Drizzle a slice of the pumpkin chiffon with dulce de leche or caramel sauce. Top with a cute hand-made chocolate mini-pumpkin!

I have entered this dessert in the World Food Day Event hosted by Ivy at Kopiaste. Thanks to Giz, at Equal Opportunity Kitchen for informing me about this worthy event!I have much to be thankful for: A healthy family, great friends and a food blogging community that is both inspirational and supportive!

C.C., I must confess...I'm not a "pink" sort of woman. At first, because I wanted a change, I loved the pink blog layout and the funky cupcakes, but it started to wear on my eyes seeing pink all the time! That, and I didn't think it showed off my food porn very well. It clashed with a lot of my photos. I actually want a chocolate brown layout with a white main background and pink accents...but I haven't found one yet and I have no idea how to fiddle with html to that degree! If you have any ideas, please tell me an easy way to do that!

I've been looking into making a pumpkin cake but never took the plunge. I think this is a great recipe to give it a try. I love that dulce di leche dripping all over the cake!! Thank you so much for participating at the Event and thus giving me the chance to learn about your lovely blog.

Hey Girl J.,Don't worry about searching out a specialty cooking pumpkin. I used canned pumpkin puree (no spices). It has a great texture and you don't have to mess with peeling, cooking and cleaning them.